Long-term impact of exposure to violent conflict: Are there gender differences?

Abstract

We examine gender differences in the long-term impact of childhood exposure to violent conflict on a range of behavioral traits by conducting a large-scale field experiment in the Indian state of Assam, which witnessed fatal ethnic riots in the early 1980s. We exploit an individual's geographic location and age at exposure to riots to examine the effects of varied exposure to violent conflict during childhood and early adolescence on their pro- and antisocial behavior, as well as their risk and time preferences. The results suggest that, as the intensity of exposure to riots during childhood increases, females show more prosocial behavior, whereas males demonstrate a higher degree of antisocial behavior. Our study offers important insights into the divergent effects of conflict by gender.

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